Rail

Judge blocks BART strike for 60 days

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a San Francisco Superior Court judge approved California Gov. Jerry Brown’s request to prevent Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) workers from holding another strike for 60 days. The transit system and its unions have not been able to resolve a contract dispute.

While BART officials told the paper that the unions of walked out of negotiations and rejected a proposed pay increase of 10% over four years, a union negotiator said that a deal can’t be made until BART addressed worker safety concerns. For the full story, click here.

Attorneys for the governor said in a court filing that a strike would cost the region $73 million per day and endanger public health and safety, according to Bloomberg. For the full story, click here.

The order is valued at approximately $120 million, including price escalations based on best faith assessment of assumptions, and is an option contained in a 2010 contract for a maximum of 860 trains signed with SNCF on behalf of the regions.